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5 Success Lessons to Learn from J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling is one the most famous authors in history, closely behind William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, and for obvious reasons. Not only has she wrote the award winning and exceptional Harry Potter series, she has also been a leader on guiding people to success with her own experiences. Here are 5 brilliant lessons that we could all learn from this remarkable author.

Stay Humble

As a wise man with the name of Kendrick Lamar once said, “Sit down, be humble.”, it looks like J.K. Rowling took it to heart, with good reason. There are many times when people who succeed in something, boast about it with their ego inflaming with every word they say. Of course it is understandable to be proud of an achievement, but there are certain limits.

Success can come easier to some people than other, and those who have it early on should be empathetic to other people. It is easy to get discouraged, especially when you see other people doing better than you, but everything takes times with the right amount of dedication and work that you put into it.

Staying humble is very important if you want to be successful because success is temporary. No one is perfect and it will take hard work to get it again. if for example, you bragged to everyone about how got a promotion and rubbed it into everyone’s faces, hardly anyone will want to help you reach even more.

A humble person like J.K. Rowling also has a higher chance of influencing people because of their good nature. She has vocally expressed her opinions (in a positive manner), donated a lot of her well earned wealth to charities, and she stands up for people in need. I don’t know about you, but I for one want to be like her.

Imagination Is Everything

As we get older, we are forced to stop daydreaming and to start thinking logically. Imagination is something for children anyways, right?

Not really. Imagination is something that every single person should have, especially when they want to succeed. I mean anybody can come up with a generic solution to their problems whether it be business related, or in their personal life, but a creative twist can really change the game for some things.

As Rowling herself said “Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not and therefore the fount of all invention…we have the power to imagine better.”, she clearly understands and states how our unique thoughts and perceptions could essentially change our lives.

Even If You Have a Job, Keep Chasing Your Dreams

Rowling had a job teaching at schools, but spent a majority of her spare time writing her first novel of the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. She was a single mother who was in poverty and did all she could to survive.

Writing has always been her passion; she finished her first book when she was just 6 years old (while many kids are learning how to read at this age). She always had a dream that she would be a published author when she is older, and with continuous hard work and dedication, it came true.

Not everyone can turn their hobby/passion, into a full time career. For her, it took ages to get where she is, and even then it wouldn’t happen top everyone. The main idea of this is to continue perusing your passion, but also work at a job that interests you. Why waste your life doing something that bores you to death when you could be doing literally anything else. You could even design your own free online accounting software for small businesses *wink*.

I’m not saying quit your day job to make a career in sewing, but continue doing it on the side unless you can make a legit income from it. In the meantime, you should still find a job that you wouldn’t mind waking up early in the morning to go to.

Take Responsibility

Your life is your own and when you finally understand that, you will be so much better. Everyone has experiences when they were younger that shaped them into who they are, but you have a choice as you get older, to make your own mold.

“I do not blame my parents…there is an expiry date for blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction. I discovered that I had a strong will and more discipline than I had suspected.” – J.K. Rowling. Whoever we were surrounded by and grew up around when we were kids are the ones who nurture us into what they want.

The day you realize you don’t have to be what they expect of you and find out what YOU want, is your first step to success. Developing as a person is just as important as anything else, if not more. You are going to be the one who let’s your environment and thoughts influence you decisions in the future.

Never Give Up

The most cliche lesson that everyone gives, yet the least followed; NEVER GIVE UP. As I mentioned earlier, Rowling landed on rock bottom before she started going to the top. Even when you think that nothing is going right and then universe is going against you, just know that like success, failure is temporary. Everyone has to fail, how else will we learn from our mistakes and get better?

It is a very famous fact that her first book was sent to 12 different publishers before Bloomsbury accepted her. Imagine getting rejected 12 times, I’m sure a lot of you would’ve felt defeated and probably given up by then (I know I would) but she is living proof that pushing through, even when all the odds seem against your favor, can lead to success.

Not everything will work out for the best though, but I certainly know that I would rather die knowing I tried hardest as I could, than giving up halfway wondering what could’ve been.